Communications Partner

Rotorua Lakes Council is seeking a Communications Partner to help shape the conversations that matter for the Rotorua district. The role is a permanent, full-time position based onsite in Rotorua, New Zealand, within the Council’s Communications and Engagement team. It’s a hands-on senior advisory post, ideal for someone who enjoys working with a range of stakeholders and turning complex topics into clear, engaging messages that people can trust and act on.

In a business-partnering setup, you’ll provide trusted guidance to senior leaders and project teams across the organisation. You’ll help them develop communication and engagement plans, navigate risk and sensitive issues, and explain Council actions and their significance in a way that resonates with the community. You’ll also support a diverse portfolio of priority projects and services, collaborating with engagement colleagues to ensure community input is meaningful and accessible in Council decision-making.

Joining a collaborative, high-performing Communications and Engagement team, you’ll share in-stretch moments where fast thinking and clear communication matter. If you enjoy turning dense information into approachable messages and you want to help keep Rotorua informed and connected, this could be the right fit.

Day-to-day conversations that land

You’ll craft and implement strategic communications and engagement plans that align with Council priorities and community outcomes, and you’ll work with media on releases, enquiries and spokesperson support to keep information accurate and timely. Building strong relationships with iwi and mana whenua, you’ll ensure that engagement activities reflect Council’s partnership commitments. You’ll also keep an eye on reputational risk and emerging issues, stepping in to manage communications when crises or emergencies arise. Collaborating with the in-house Digital and Content team, you’ll help produce audience-focused content and campaigns across a variety of channels, and you’ll tell the stories behind Council’s people, projects and services in ways that connect with Rotorua communities.

Throughout, you’ll thrive in a fast-paced environment, turning complex information into messages that are not only clear, but also meaningful to residents and stakeholders. The role is about proactive planning as well as responsive communication when situations change, and you’ll be comfortable guiding teams through uncertain times with calm, clear guidance.

What you’ll need and what would help

Here’s what counts as essential versus a bonus for this niche role.

• A proven respect for tikanga Māori, te reo Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Extensive communications experience in a large, complex or politically sensitive setting.
• Strong ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders across levels of an organisation.
• Outstanding written and spoken communication skills.
• Capacity to juggle competing priorities while staying composed under pressure.

• Experience in emergency management communications, including within a Public Information Management (PIM) function, would be an advantage.

Pay, benefits and practical details

This is a permanent full-time appointment, 40 hours per week, based at the Civic Centre in the heart of Rotorua.

Salary ranges from 104,750 NZD to 123,235 NZD per year, reflecting the seniority of the role and the level of responsibility involved.

Advice for applicants

Lead your resume with your strongest evidence of senior communications leadership, especially where you’ve shaped plans for large, complex or politically sensitive work. Highlight any work that involved partnerships with iwi or mana whenua and any strategic engagement you led, along with clear outcomes.

When you describe your experience, back up claims with concrete examples that show you’ve built relationships and influenced decision-making, managed multiple priorities, and stayed calm under pressure. If you’ve handled crisis or emergency communications, share a specific scenario and the impact of your response.

In interviews, be prepared to discuss how you’ve translated technical or complex issues into accessible messages, and how you’ve collaborated with internal teams (media, digital, content) to deliver a coherent communications approach across channels. You may be asked about your approach to engaging with iwi and mana whenua and how you reflect partnership commitments in practice.

Consider a smart question to end with, such as: How does the Council measure the success of its communications and engagement plans, and how does the Communications Partner contribute to that measurement within the partnership model with senior leaders and project teams?